Nearly four years ago, when Barbra Streisand last played Chicago’s United Center, she duetted with three teenage tenors, a saxophonist and her son, Jason Gould.

This time, she soloed.

Turns out, Streisand doesn’t need any help to captivate a crowd, which she did Tuesday as part of “Barbra: The Music ... The Mem’ries ... The Magic,” her nine-city tour that launched earlier this month in Los Angeles. Thunderous applause greeted the singer who, at 74, still possesses a lush lower register, superb phrasing and an unequaled hum, which makes up for a slight strain in her upper register and an occasional problem with intonation. That said, when Streisand lands on a note, by God, she sticks the landing. Moreover, the multi-hyphenate singer/actress/director knows how to deliver a song.

The first act, Streisand informed the crowd, comprised songs from each of her No. 1 albums over the last six decades, beginning with the crowd-pleasing “The Way We Were.

“You didn’t think I would sing that first, did you?” she teased the rapt crowd. “It’s what the evening is about.”

Her version of Carole King’s “Being at War with Each Other” was accompanied by a video montage depicting civil rights demonstrations, anti-violence crusades, refugees, the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the war in Afghanistan and mass shootings in the United States that emerged as a powerful plea for peace and tolerance.

The first act concluded with an impressive rendition of “Papa, Can You Hear Me?” from the film “Yentl,” her directorial debut.

In her between-song patter, Streisand offered stories about the making of her albums and their covers, referencing one in which the signature bump on her nose was airbrushed out of the photo. The lifelong Democrat also spoke about her desire for creative control, feminism and her wish to see Hillary Clinton elected.

“Is that too much to ask?” she said.